Georgios Samaras could leave Manchester City before the August 31 transfer
deadline - but only for another Barclays Premier League club.

Former City boss Stuart Pearce spent £5million on the Greece international 18
months ago but Samaras has flattered to deceive during his time at Eastlands and
appears to have no future under new manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Samaras has yet to make even a single appearance on the substitutes' bench
this term and has fallen so far down the striking pecking order he is not even
expected to figure in tonight's Carling Cup encounter with Bristol City at
Ashton Gate.

It seems clear Samaras' future lies away from the club, and Middlesbrough are
believed to be keen on signing the 22-year-old should the proposed £11million
transfer of Yakubu to Everton finally get the green light.

However, while there are plenty of other potential suitors expressing an
interest in Samaras, his advisor Paul Koutsoliakos has stressed the former
Heerenveen frontman does not want to quit the Premier League.

'There are a lot of clubs from all over Europe keen on Giorgios, but he wants
to stay in England,' said Koutsoliakos.

'He feels as though he has more to show the people over there and also to
himself. He strongly believes he is good enough to compete in England, which is
why he is not interested in leaving.

'Hopefully, something will happen but if not he has a contract with City
until 2010, so he will stay where he is.'

Samaras is among a host of players deemed surplus to requirements by
Eriksson.

Fellow strikers Bernardo Corradi and Paul Dickov would be allowed to leave,
while former England international Darius Vassell has already turned down moves
to Besiktas and Derby this summer.

With almost 30 senior players at his disposal, Eriksson knows he must offload
some before he can add to the eight new faces he is responsible for.

Inter Milan's Adriano is among a host of star names still being linked with
the upwardly mobile Eastlands club, who currently lie an impressive second in
the Premier League table.

Danish midfielder Thomas Gravesen is also attracting interest, while a late
move for Parma's Mark Bresciano cannot entirely be discounted.